Zindagi Na Milegi Doobara: The Philosophy of Life
Once in a time comes a movie that teaches us the basic essentials of Life well lived and Zindagi Na Milegi Doobara a film by Zoya Akhtar does just that. The film has a great cast well carried out performances by Hritik, Katrina, Abhay Deol, Farhan Akhtar and Kalki. The film is shot in a foreign and scenic location: Spain. The story is great and the icing on cake is the poems by Javed Akhtar well recited by Farhan. But the important thing as I said lies in its philosophy that if one misses to notice then that person could be described as having eyes, but not seeing, having ears but not listening and having a mind but not understanding
So what’s the philosophy of Zindagi Na Milegi Doobara? These are some of the points we an glean from it.
1. What you are putting off maybe the most important thing for you: The 3 friends have been putting off their pact of going on a bachelor’s party for quite some time. Especially the character or Arjun played by Hritik portrays this. He is busy Stock Broker, his priority is to hoard as much wealth as he can and then (After 40) he can think of the holidays. But somehow he is persuaded to join reluctantly and finds New Birth in his trip. He learns important lessons of life from his beau and instructor Laila, Seize the day! Who knows whether we are going to live up to 40 years? All the daring activities change that the trio perform touches their heart deeply and changes them as human beings. If it was not for the trip, they would have missed it. The journey itself is the reward my friends because that is what makes you a better person, reaching your goal is the outcome of you becoming a better person, step out and do the thing you are avoiding.
2. Be the master of your money not its salve: Money does make the mare go. I believe it. But then that doesn’t mean money is the end of everything. Hritik playing Arjun is obsessed with earning money as a Stock Broker, he is a workaholic, even on a holiday trip he cannot enjoy. Money is driving his life and he is controlled by its lure. The modern globalized can do that to us if we are not careful. The money is good, it is necessary to earn good money but it is bad to let it run our lives. We should master it. We should know the boundaries. Some things in life cannot be bought by money. As a doctor said, “I have never met a person in my life that regretted not having spent more time in the office on his death bed.” When we are on our death bed, love, relations, the values we lived for count more than anything else. So while you earn money, take time out for things that you enjoy.
3. Give space to your spouse: Kalki embodies the character who is possessive of her fiancé, Abhay Deol. She cannot tolerate his friendship with the opposite sex, Katrina. She comes on his Bachelor’s party and spoils his fun. She lives by the philosophy that your spouse is your property. Many of us have been guilty of doing just this with our spouses. Marriage is a wonderful relation that we should all enjoy but it doesn’t give us the authority to possess the other person. Our spouses have their own dreams and life, let them live it. We need to release many things so that we may know the real joy of really calling ours.
4. Follow your dreams even beyond your fears: Our comfort zones are the most dangerous places for our lives. All the 3 friends take on an adventure sport during the trip that makes them stretch out of their comfort zone. Hritik is afraid of swimming, the deep sea diving shows him the difference between ephemeral happiness and real joy. Farhan is afraid of heights (just as he is afraid to face his father who has abandoned his mother), the sky diving helps him to conquer his fears and find a new life. Both Abhay and Hritik do not agree on the dangerous sport bull chase but participating in it gives them the courage to face their problems of relations in life. Friends, if we leave our comfort zones it is difficult in the beginning, but by the end of it we find a whole new exiting world that’s much better. So don’t let fears hold you back, let go and let God. Many times we sacrifice our dreams because of the fear of stretching out of our comfort zones.
Conclusion: The climax of the movie gets better, during the bull chase. Abhay decides to release himself from the torment of possessive relation. The poem at the end is my favorite. ‘If you are pursuing your dreams indeed then you are truly living or merely existing.’ Hats off to a great movie! I am watching it one more time.
